General hints and tips to save you time and money

General tips: - For many different jobs. Paper saver - To save on printer paper, use both sides for printing things that are not official or reuse a page if the last bit of print (web address or other un-needed bits) have over flowed on to it Travel tip - Instead of replacing travel-size tube of toothpaste, refill it from a regular tube: Simply hold the nozzle of the big tube against the small one and slowly squeeze. You can do this with shampoo and any items you need to take away. This is also good for gym size bits as well. Salad tip - When the mayonnaise jar is almost empty and you just can't get that last little bit out, sprinkle a few drops of vinegar inside, add flavorful herbs or spices and shake well. You'll have a lovely salad dressing. Paper plates - They have many uses. For example, you can place a plate over dishes in the microwave to contain splatters. Or cut one in half to scoop up spills. You can use them to cut up messy items like beetroot or red onions on, then just chuck out the entire mess. Great to keep kids busy as you can make masks out of them, snowflakes, decorate them and hang them or cut out shapes to use in projects. If you have an invasion of spiders grab a glass bowl, then slide a paper plate underneath for an instant bug trap! New life for an old battery - After you take a dying battery out of a camera, try reusing it in a low-energy appliance — an alarm or a wall clock, for example. (But never mix old batteries with new ones.) Better yet, invest in rechargeable batteries. Cheaper duster - To make an inexpensive duster, roll a section of the newspaper lengthwise, then cut across one end a few times and spread out the fringe. Use to brush away cobwebs or crumbs, then toss it out. Save on your sneezes - Instead of tissues, use toilet paper, which costs less. Remove the cardboard core from a roll and throw away. Then place the roll inside an empty square tissue box and pull the center of the roll through the opening. Cheap organizer - Use plastic ice-cube trays to hold earrings, bobby pins, or cufflinks in a drawer

Christmas savers and secrets

Ok So Christmas is upon us and the holiday season brings with it lots of rushing around and expensive buying. Firstly DO NOT leave your shopping till the last minute. The must have gifts will be out of stock and you will only get frustrated and annoyed running around or going from site to site trying to get what you need. You can do Christmas for hardly anything but I do not expect people to throw out years of living in a 'spend culture' to do simple things like make your own decorations from pine cones or make small christmas boxes out of last years cards and put in a few home made sweets to give as gifts. These things sound lovely but don't compare for most with the flashy plastic tat that we all buy at Christmas and regret in the new year. So here are a few other, less radical ideas. Wrap babies gifts in tissue or crepe paper so they can tear it open easily and give you a great photo op. Make use of your slow cooker and put in a stew for Christmas eve. Then you can have the day relaxing, finishing off last minute wrapping, visiting relatives or just dancing to Christmas songs, at the ens of the day you have a lovely stew to dish up with some crusty bread and maybe a glass of red wine for mummy! :) You can use it again (the slow cooker not the stew) on Boxing day with some left over turkey, stuffing and the veg in a chicken stock. Yum. We make the kids a special champagne for christmas day with lemonade and apple juice. They love it and can join in the celebrations. Spray a piece of old trelis with paint and glitter (or what ever you like) and use it to hold Christmas cards. You can attach it to the wall and you do not need to worry about where all the cards will go. Sort out old toys before the big day and donate or put to one side to sell. This leaves room for the new ones and if you sell any before Christmas it can also help to pay for them. REMEMBER to save all the boxes if you can as this makes it easier to sell them later on and you will get more for them. Make a list of all the gifts you wish to buy before you go shopping. If you wait for inspiration to strike, you could be wandering aimlessly around the shops for hours. Cross people off the list as you buy to avoid duplication Buy a few little extras, such as chocolates, just in case you forget somebody or you have unexpected guests bearing gifts. . Buy your gifts over the Internet. Some companies will also gift-wrap and post your presents for a small additional fee. BUT order early to avoid long postage delays. If you are cooking lunch at home, delegate tasks. You don't need to do everything yourself. Make a list of food and ingredients needed. Buy as many non-perishable food items as you can in advance – supermarkets on Christmas Eve are generally extremely busy. Write a Christmas Day timetable. For example, 11.30am – put turkey in the oven. You may need to order particular food items (such as turkeys) from your supermarket by a certain date. Check to avoid disappointment. Consider doing your food shopping online. The store will deliver your groceries to your door. To cut down on cooking on the day, cook and freeze mincepies, gravy, stuffing, bread sauce, parsnips (boiled and then frozen, they cook much quicker in the oven on the day), yorkshire puddings and dessert. All this can be done the week before and will only need a few minutes cooking or a few hours defrosting to be ready to serve. You can take all the stress out of cooking by going out for dinner on the day. Some places do not cost much more at Christmas than on a normal day and you can take along crackers and hats etc to make it special. But book well in advance if you plan to have Christmas lunch at a restaurant. Some restaurants may be fully booked for months before Christmas, so don't wait till the last minute. Don't expect miracles. Christmas is just another day. It will most likely NOT be perfect and things WILL go wrong but it is just gifts and a roast dinner so DON'T PANIC! Remember if you and certain family members bicker all year long, you can be sure there'll be tension at Christmas gatherings so avoid known triggers. For example, if politics is a touchy subject in your family, don't talk about it. If someone brings up the topic, use distraction and quickly move on to something else to talk about. Use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on your breath to cope with anxiety or tension. Family members involved in after-lunch activities are less likely to get into arguments. Plan for something to do as a group after lunch if necessary. After Christmas comes Boxing day. This is the day I hate/love to shop. I look for a bargain and get my wrapping, crackers, cards and even some presents ready for next year. When it is time to take down the cards cut them up as gift tags and recycle what is left. I have never brought a gift tag for a Christmas present. Don't forget to check out my other posts for hangover cures and help to prevent a hangover at all. Most of all enjoy the day and a MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL.

Secrets to help you save money while you are Pregnant

Having a baby can be expensive. Wonderful but expensive. Save some money while you still have time and are not running around attending to every whim of your new prodigy. A variety of baby brands offer free trial products and coupons for new parents, so get Googling and see what’s out there that you can sign up for. Just a few of the free products available include bottles and baby food. Buy nursing bras instead of regular bras when you are pregnant (buy at least a size larger). Most women have to go up a size when they are pregnant, I saved money and bought nursing bras and made sure they fit me well with a little room to grow. The nursing bras worked great and I had only had to invest in 2 or 3 bras when I was pregnant. I then did not need to buy new bras once the baby was born. Also breast feeding will save you quite a lot of money and if you can then do. It is free and the best choice for baby. Borrow Maternity clothes if you can or buy empire-waist shirts that can be worn after pregnancy instead of maternity tops and if you are heavily pregnant in winter or know you will be, then buy a coat that buttons up and buy it a few sizes larger. You can use it until your bump gets too big then just cut off the buttons and resew them closer to the edge of the coat. This will make the coat another size bigger still. When you have the baby remove the buttons again and then sew them on a little further in than they were originally this will make the coat fit you again and it will look rather slimming. If you are planning to use disposable nappies then have an American Diaper shower. It is better than a baby shower where you will get a few pairs of socks wrapped up to look like roses or a baby bath that you use once and then stick in the attic. Diaper showers ask every one to bring boxes of nappies with them. Do NOT ask every one to bring newborn as you may find these do not fit or are too small after a week. But ones designed for a few months old would work well and will still fit if baby is born larger than expected or grows quickly. Nappies cost a fortune and a good stock of them is very worth having. Buy scented doggy do bags. They are cheaper than a nappy wrapper and if you have a small bin with a well fitted lid then this works just as well. If you buy baby items try to buy second hand as most things like activity centres and bumbo seats are hardly used and get sold on very quickly. What ever you do buy sterilise it as a matter of course and keep the boxes as it is easier to sell the items on afterwards if they are boxed. This is also a good thing to do with children's toys. Make lovely meals and freeze them. As you get bigger you will have many nights when you do not feel like cooking. Do not get a take away just get out a frozen meal and heat. You can save quite a lot of money by avoiding the urge for a take away. But still treat yourself. You are doing an amazing thing and your mind and body needs a bit of a boost now and then.

Tips to Loose weight without losing Money

Random secrets 13-11-14 - Time saver

I have not written in a while. Random Secrets today - Everyone has seen how to cut baby tomatoes with two plates (if you have not then place lots of tomatoes on one plate and put the other plate on top and then cut with a long knife between the plates.) It works well with eggs and small potatoes as well. Anyway these are a few more for your busy day. Too many gift cards/loyalty cards in your purse? Punch a small hole in the corner of each and put them on a key ring. Easy to put away in a pocket in your bag and easy to find as they won't all fall out at the checkout. Get egg shell in a cracked egg? Use the left over half shell to scoop it out. It works like a magnet. Stubbon sticker or label on a gift? Get it off in a few seconds with the warm blast of a hairdryer. Create one pot wonders and look up new ideas. If you have to cook something sticky on an oven pan put foil on it first so the pan stays clean. Place duvet/sheet sets inside one pillow case that matches (put the other pillowcase inside as well if it is a double/king/queen) so you can find them much quicker. I hope these ideas help you today :)

Today's Secret's - 18-03-14 - DIY save and no waste - tips and hints

If you make a hole too big for a wall plug don't panic or go out and buy bigger ones just fill the hole with matchsticks until the plug fits.

If a round headed screw head is damaged use a metal file to make a new slot for your screwdriver.

Saw not gliding smoothly? Use candle wax to get it running well again, if a screw or nail needs lubrication run it through your hair.

Make your own sanding blocks with glue sand paper and any thing square and hard that you might want to chuck away.

Tongue and groove is expensive, cut some grooves into hard board and paint it. No one will know the difference.

No dustpan or don't want to use it to clean up a DIY project? Use some newspaper and wet the edge, brush the dust into it and then just roll it up and throw away.

Always measure twice and cut once, you will waste less.

Try to have the right tools, borrow them, try boot fairs or look on second hand sites to get a bargain.

Want a lovely colour of paint but it costs a fortune? Buy a small pot of the paint and then mix it well into a large pot of white paint. The colour you will get will be slightly lighter but will be close to the colour you wanted.

Have a small area left but you have run out of wallpaper? Go back to the store and ask for a sample of the wall paper you are using, most stores will let you take quite a large piece. Take enough to finish the area.

Keep old paint and paint over any stubborn dirt marks.

Stir vanilla essence into paint to help with the smell.

Paint brushes hard? Boil some vinegar and dip them into it for a few minutes.

Wall paper edge coming away? Use some egg white, paint it on the wallpaper then let it go sticky, now re-stick without paying out for paste.

Salt water will clean a paste brush and stop it going hard.

Bicarbonate of soda in warm water will strip the wall paper quicker.

Lastly, try to have fun when decorating, put on music, order a pizza and laugh at any problems. It will all be much less stressful.

Today's Secret's - Buying second hand or antiques repair and tips to save you money

An obvious one first - If a piece of furniture has little holes in it, it could mean woodworm. If you buy it anyway you may need to get it treated (May is best for this to get the larvae) and quickly as woodworm can spread. It may also reduce the value of the item.

If you want to get an antique look to a piece of furniture mix furniture varnish with soot and rub it in.

Scratches and rings in tables can be removed by using half a walnut rubbed over the scratch or use petroleum jelly on it and leave for 24 hours before buffing in.

To remove ink stains by soaking a piece of cotton in water and placing it on the stain, leave overnight and it will draw it out.

Use crayons of the same colour to fill in scratches or cracks in wood.


Check if handles are original by looking inside the draws to see if there is any extra holes or how new the screws look. Clean Brass handles with lemon juice.

Fabric cleaner with water will clean a gilded plate if left to soak.

Pottery cracks can be filled by heating it slowly to 110 c this opens the crack so you can put in some glue and then let it dry and the crack will seal up.
For hairline cracks boil it in a pan of milk for half an hour and the crack should disappear.

Sniff silver as it has a stronger smell than plate. Learn the difference and you can never be fooled.
To read a hall mark better, breath on it as it will make it stand out or burn a bit of paper and let the soot settle on the hall mark, use tape over it to remove the soot and then place the tape on white paper to see the mark.
To polish silver use your fingers.

Brown sauce can clean brass if you leave it over night.

Brown marks on books can be removed with breadcrumbs.

Almond oil can work a treat on tortoise shell and Ivory.

Remove scratches from your watch face with metal polish.

Denture cleaning tablets popped into a long necked vase will clean it up.

To clean an oil painting just spit on cotton and rub gently, surface dirt can be removed with a piece of bread. Check a small area first as with all these tips.

Real silk will stick to a brick wall. Try it.
Think a designer label may be fake? Check the stitching is even and the lining is of good quality as both will be perfect in an original.

If you attend a car boot sale then get there early as bargains go first.
Never pass up a charity shop some can surprise you.
Try places/sales in early spring as that's when people have a good clear out.
Haggle - it is part of the fun and the only way to get a bargain, if you don't ask you won't get.

Have fun and good luck.